The akamil program that is supplementing our child malnutrition program has been underway for several weeks now.  It's going very well with only a few minor bumps in the road.

As with all new programs, not everything goes as envisioned and planned.  We've had to make some adjustments and everything appears to be running smoothly now.  We discovered that the time it takes to clean the beans, hold the regular program for the children, run the grain and beans through the mill and then distribute the akamil was too long.  The women and children were having to wait until the early afternoon to leave the depot with their rations and akamil.

The women of each group (there are two groups whose children participate in the program on alternating weeks) formed a committee to decide which of them would come on Saturday morning to clean the beans. This is a long process of checking the beans by the handful and picking out any bad ones, straw, or small rocks.  Two or three women come for a few hours to prepare the beans in advance. I sometimes go out and sit with them to help.  It's been nice to get to know a few of the women and hear about their children and families.

On Mondays, a couple of our yard men - usually Pouchon and Michel -  and I make the akamil.  This takes a little under two hours to do.  The mill can be a little tempermental if it is pushed too hard, so we need to have an operator like Pouchon who understands how it works.  We then put it in sacks to be distributed from the depot on Tuesday. It is hot, dusty work.  I usually end up covered in flour with a tired back.

After a few months of this program I will be evaluating the weights of the children who have been receiving the akamil. Our hope is that this additonal supplement will help them to gain weight faster and be on their way to being healthy, happy kids.

 

 

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